Knitting machine



March 15, 1938. A. FRIEDMANN KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. ll, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l albert Friedmann BY Eg Mamh 15, 193s. A FmEDMANNj 2,111,262

KNI'TTING MACHINE Original Filed Deo. ll, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 l H B C F: 1 E'- E 152 m, 148 48 49 50 146 ma x25 124 t Wg 147 55 46 145 1lb m las 12 46 524 51 50 91 144 wa los 91 Il: I INVENTOR 45 (,5\6 RLEZ (l \)n5'1m`l 105 4445 62 \2254 14o/u H4 102300 albert Friedmann Bu/ww.

ma ATTORNEY.

A. ERIEDMANN March l5, 1938.

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. ll, 1935 5 Sheets--Sheei'l 5 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 rUNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE- KNITTING MACHINE Original application December 11, 1933, Serial No.

701,737. Divided and this application November 15, 1934, Serial No. 753,201

Claims.

This invention covers a new and useful improvement in stockings, a method of producing them, and a machine by which the method may be performed. p

The subject matter of this application has been divided out of a copending application led by me on December 11, 1933, bearing Serial No. 701,737. y

In the knitting of silk hosiery of ne quality, those skilled in the art have `considered it necessary to use not only the same gauge and quality of thread but the same identical thread for the knitting of the parts of the stocking which are most conspicuous, such as the leg and instep. It

r was thought that only in this way could the most uniform fabric be produced. However, in spite of the greatest care in manufacturing the thread the diameter of one part frequently differs from that of another. The result is that in the knitted fabric the courses knit from the heavier part of the thread lie adjacent each other so that rings or bands appear in the fabric which are very noticeable and greatly mar the appearance of the stocking. So long as a single thread is used the knitter can do little to alter the situ- 'ation. However, by knitting succeeding courses of the same kind of thread but from dierent cones the courses knit from each of them may be separated by other courses of the other threads, the irregularities in the thread then becoming less apparent. The socalled ringless stocking is the result of this practice whichis becoming increasingly popular with hosiery manufacturers. It is knit of three separate threads laid successively in adjacent courses so that the same thread appears onlyin every third course. However, the method heretofore' employed has not been altogether satisfactory. Three main thread carriers are required, two of which are idle and released from the control of their frictions while the other is working. When the 'working 'carrier starts .there is danger that it will drag across one of the idle carriers displacing it from its correct position over a certain one of the 'selvagedividers When the working carrier rod strikes a stop at the end of a stroke it sometimes jars an idle carrier out of position. Either ha vpening is likely to cause needle breakage and press oifs with consequent reduced output. Hence the machines are generally operated at lower speed than otherwise necessary and carrier rod arresting devices are employed which further complicate an already complicated machine.

Furthermore, when accepted practice is fcllowed it is difcult to obtain a good selvage for the reason that between the end of one course knit with a thread and the beginning of the next course knit with the same thread there is a loose length of the thread lying across the two inter- Vening courses. Sometimes this is caught up in the intervening courses in which case it is a matter of chance Whether trouble results. Ordinarily it is not caught up but hangs loosely along the selvage where it may be cut easily or cause 10 needle breakage. Italso makes neat seaming diicult.

By the invention of this application although three carriers are used to lay three separate threads in successive courses, a ringless fabric is 15 produced in which there are no loose selvage threads. To the contrary, each thread is knit into each course, and all three thread carriers are constantly Working under control of their respective frictions. No thread carriers are ever floating free so that the danger of displacement by jar or contact with moving thread carriers is eliminated without the use of arresting devices. Therefore, the machine may be operated at the highest practicable speed. As to the fabric, it is ringless and its selvage is straight, firm, and uniform and is reenforced to any width desired.

.Another advantage derived from this invention is that a "triple heel or heel within heel may be knit with live carriers instead of the customary minimum of seven freeing two carriers for other uses. Since full fashioned hosiery machines are usually equipped with only seven carriers this is a decided improvement. A novel means of driving the three thread carriers in the desired way is also included in this invention, the nature of which will be made clear by the following description and drawings. of which Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically the manner in which the threads are laid by thel thread carriers involved in each of a series of consecutive courses;

Fig. 2 diagrammatically villustrates the changing positions of the carrier rods involved in laying the courses shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic view of a series of courses showing the positions of the three threads in each as viewed from the back of the machine looking towards the front; y

y Fig. 3A is a diagrammatic view of a series of courses of ringless fabricvknit in the conventional manner viewed as in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a 'diagrammatic illustration of one type of stocking embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the knitting machine of this invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional "View of the machine of Fig. 5 along the line 6 6 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View of the machine of Fig. 5 along the line 'I-l looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. s is a front elevation of a portion of the machine of Fig. 5.

'I'he stocking of this invention is not limited to any particular type but may be any of the types which can be knit upon a flat knitting machine. Figure 4, for example, is intended to illustrate diagrammatically a full fashioned stocking leg with a triple heel since this type well illustrates the versatility of the invention. The noticeable difference between this stocking and other ringless stockings is the reenforced selvage which may be extremely narrow if desired, so that it disappears in the seam, or may be made as much wider as desired without affecting the general method of knitting.

As already stated the present practice in knitting ringless stockings is to use three threads laid in rotation in successive courses, the thread used for one course being simply carried down across the ends of the two following courses and then employed for the next course, that part of the thread between the end of the first course and the beginning of' the next course in which it is used lying loose. Each thread is laid the full width of the fabric. If reenforced selvages are desired by this method two additional thread carriers are required, one for each selvage or a total of five thread carriers.

'By the method of this invention all of three thread carriers Work simultaneously u pon the same courses, one laying the thread across the entire width of the fabric and the other two laying reenforcing threads for the two selvages. Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically the threads as they are laid in each of six consecutive courses. When as shown in diagram A of Fig. 1 thread I is laid the full width of the stocking from left to right thread 2 will be laid also from left to right and also in the same course but only the width of the right selvage. Simultaneously thread 3 will be laid from left to right but only across the left selvage. When this course is knit it will produce a fabric with a reenforced selvage on each edge and all three threads will be contained therein.

Diagram B of Fig. 1 represents the first course as described above, and also the second course. In this second course the thread carriers have traveled, of course, in the reverse direction from right to left. Thread I which during the first course was laid across the full width of the stocking has now in the second course been laid from right to left across the right selvage as shown at 4. Thread 2 which in the first course was laid from left to right across the right selvage has now been laid from right to left the full width of the fabric as shown at 5, and thread number 3 which in the first course was laid from left to right across the left selvage has now been laid from right to left across that same selvage again as shown at 6. Thus when this course is knit a second course has been completed having the same characteristics as the first, all three threads having been incorporated.

The laying of the threads for the next course is illustrated by diagram C of Fig. 1. In this the first thread is laid back across the right selvage from left to right as shown at l. 'I'he second thread is laid across the left selvage also from -left to right as shown at 8, and the third thread is laid across the entire width of the fabric from left to right as shown at 9.

In the following course (diagram D of Fig. l) the threads are laid as follows: Thread I which in the first course was laid across the full width of the stocking in the second course across the right selvage in one direction and in the third course across the same selvage in the other direction now is again laid across the full width of the stocking in the opposite direction, namely, from right to left as shown at ID. Thread 2 which in the first course was laid across the right selvage, in the second course across the full width of the stocking, and in the third course across the left selvage is now laid across the left selvage again but in the opposite direction, from right to left, as shown at II. Thread 3 which in the first course was laid across the left selvage from left to right, in the second course-across the left selvage again from right to left, and in the-third course across the full width of the fabric from left to right is now laid from right to left across the right selvage as shown at I2, completing the laying of the three threads for a course identical with the others.

'I'he laying of the next course is shown in diagram E of Fig. 1. In this threa'd I is laid from left to right across the left selvage as shown at I3. Thread 2 is laid across the entire width of the fabric from leftV to right asshown at I4, and

thread 3 is laid across the right selvage fromleft to right as shown at I5.

The laying of the next course is shown in diagram F of Fig. 1 as follows: Thread I is laid across the left selvage again but in the opposite direction from right to left as shown at I'I; thread 2 is laid across the right selvage from right to left as shown at I8; and thread 3 is laying a course from left to right across the right selvage, as shown at 2l. This places thread 2 in position to begin its next complete cycle by laying a thread completely across the fabric in the next course. Thread 3 which, it will be noted, is one step behind thread 2 in the cycle just as thread 2 was one step behind step I, is laid in this course from left to right across the left selvage as shown at 22. Each thread passes through exactly the same cycle and is knit into each course. the same direction during each course and are under control of their friction. There are no loose threads crossing other courses at the edges of the fabric although each thread in the body of the fabric is separated from itself by two others to carry out the ringless idea. `A firm,

All three carriers are working in even, reenforced selvage is formed. The'fabric I may be narrowed as desired without interfering with the method of knitting, the narrowing being performed in the usual way by the usual attachment.

The structure resulting from this method of knitting is diagrammatically illustrated by Fig. 3 which shows one selvage and a fragment of the amaca body of the fabric and how the three threads which are numbered i, 2fand 3 (corresponding with Fig. 1) are incorporated in succeeding courses. Only two threads appear in each course of the selvage of Fig. 3, the third thread. being found, of course, in the other selvage which is not shown in thefigure but which has the same loop arrangement.

To make the comparison between this fabric and the conventional `three thread ringless fabric perfectly plain the conventional fabric is shown in Fig. 3-A, in which the loose, or floating threads. on the selvage or edge of the fabric are clearly shown at la, 2, and 3. Figs. 3 and 3-A are based upon. the assumption that the observer is viewing the fabric from the rear of the knitting machine looking towards the front. That is to say. in the order of knitting, the top courses shown in these figures precede the lower courses.

Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically the three carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 in\ the positions which they assume for the laying ofv the threads as described in connection with Fig. 1. Each diagram of Fig. 2 is lettered to correspond with the equivalent diagram of Fig.`1. The vertical lines 26. and 21 represent the usual end stops carried by the narrowing head. At the beginning of the laying of the course illustrated by diagram A in Fig. 1

the rods are in the position shown in position A--A, Fig. 2, rods 23 and 25 being at the extreme left, and rod 24 in the intermediate position which will bring its carrier over the inner or left edge of the right selvage. On the nextstroke of the friction rod al1 three rods will be driven to the right, as shown in position A of Fig. 2, carrier rod 23 being driven the full width, carrier rod 24 being driven to its extreme right position which will bring it across the right selvage, and carrier rod25 will be moved from its position on the extreme left to the right a distance corresponding to the width ofthe left selvage. As a result threads will be laid in this course as shown in diagram A, Fig. 1.

Upon the next stroke of the friction rod, which will be to the left, the carrier rods assume the positions shown in position B of Fig. 2, rod 23 being driven to the left a distance corresponding to the width of the right selvage, rod 24 also to the left the full widthof the fabric, and rod 25 to the left the width of the left selvage. This will lay the threads as shown in diagram B of Fig. 1.

On the next stroke of the carrier rods, which will be to the right, rod 23 will move to the right across the right selvage, rod 24 will move to the right across the left selvage, and the third rod 25 will move to the right all the way across the fabric assuming the position shown in position C of Fig. 2 and laying thread according to diagram C of Fig. 1. Upon the next stroke of the friction rod which will be to the'leilt,- as shown in Fig. 2 position D, rod 23 again moves across the full width of the fabric but to the left inthe opposite direction to its last full stroke. Rod 24 returns to the left across the left selvage again, and rod 25 moves to the left across the right selvage, the thread being laid as shown in diagram D.` The following movements of the carrier rods shown in positions E, F and G of Fig. 2 will be understood without detailed description. They result in the laying of threads in the three following courses as shown in the similarly numbered diagram E,FandGofFig. 1. v

y It will be noted that during each stroke of the carrier rod operating mechanism rst one rod and then another moves across the full Width of the fabric, and that the motion of the other two rods is limited to the selvages, one working on one selvage and the other working on the other. It will also be noted that at the end of each stroke each rod is always in the correct position'for the beginning of its next working stroke so that no idle courses are required andthat all three rods are constantly under the control of their respective frictions.

a In Fig. 4 is illustrated diagrammatically a stocking knit as described above, and having the socalled heel within a heel. That is to say, a heel having areas of single reenforcement in the upper parts of the heel tabs as shown at 28 and 29, the remainder of the tabs being overlaid by an additional reenforcement shown at 30 and 3i. To form the single reenforcement of the heels between the lines A-A and B-B and also the intervening instep portion the same three thread carriers continue to function in the same way, the single reenforced areas being in effect wider selvages. For the forming of the double reenforcement areas 30 and 3| two extra thread carriers are required or ve in all, instead of the usual l which would be necessary if orthodox methods were followed. These extra threads are laid in the conventional manner back and forth across the heel tabs by the two extra thread carriers which are also operated in the conventional manner in Yproperly timed relation to the other carriers operating upon the tabs., In view of the fact that the constant demand of the industry is for more carriers than manufacturers can provide upon their machines, the release of two carriers for other uses (which is tantamount to adding two more carriers to the machine) is of great value and importance.

When the line B-:B is reached where the knitting. of the instep portion is suspended, the ringless method above described is discontinued and the remainder of the double reenforced heel tabs shown in Fig. 4 between the lines B-B and C-C are knit in the conventional way, three thread carriers being employed for each tab.

The knitting of the foot may also be performed in accordance with the above method and requires no further description. Obviously the method may be carried out upon a legger and a, footer, a single u'nit machine or, for` that matter, manually'. It results in a ringless stocking having 'perfect selvages which may be of any width so as to be visible or not in the finished stocking, as desired. The difficulty resulting from free oating carrier rods and also from floating threads in the selvage is eliminated and perfect fabric is assured. l

The method of knitting as described above may be performed, if desired, upon a flat knitting machine of generaliy'standard design, the carrier rod operating mechanism of which is modied somewhat as diagrammaticaily illustrated in Fig. 5. Carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 are shown. There are usually seven carrier rods on a standard flat knitting machine. The four otherrods are omitted from the drawings since they are standard in all respects. and are operated in the conventional manner through friction rod 36 and frictions oper- .ated by the usual driving mechanism.

The three frictions'3i, 38 and 39 which operate carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 are of novel design. In so far as the friction features of these special frictions are concerned they are standard and consequently require no description. All of the special frictions 31, 38 and 38 are essentially alike so that a description of frictionv31 will sufiice for all three of them. This consists of a friction box 42 equipped with the usual friction device (not shown) whereby it may be frictionally connected with friction rod v36 so as to be propelled thereby. Upon friction box 442 are pivotally mounted three fingers 43, 44 and 45, the length of finger 43 being such that it overlies carrier rod 23. Similarly finger 44 overlies carrier rod 24, and iinge'r 45 overlies carrier rod 25. Behind, above, and parallel to the friction rod 36 achanging shaft 46 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings supported by rod 9| parallel thereto. Shaft 46 is provided with one or more longitudinal spline slots 41 and upon it are three cams 48, 49 and 50. Each of these cams is slidable upon change shaft 46 and is provided with a spline key 5| (Fig. 6) engaging with splinegslot 41 so that although they are slidable on shaft 46 they will, nevertheless, rotate when shaft 46 is turned.

Friction box 42 is provided with arms 52 and 53 through which changing shaft 46 passes. These arms are provided with bosses 54 at the point through which the changing shaft 46 passes which rest against the outer sides of cams 48 and 50, to maintain the three cams 48, 49 and 50 in alignment with the rollers 56, 51 and 58 on the rear ends of fingers 43, 44 and 45 respectively, andto slide the cams on shaft 46 whenever friction box 42 moves, thus maintaining thecams in alignment with the rollers on the fingers at all' times. Arms 52 and 53 also carry a cross rod 55 to which springs are attached which maintain the fingers in contact with the carrier rods except when they are removed therefrom by the action of the cams. This will be described in detail in connection with another figure.

Also as will be fully described later, Vcams 48, 49 and 50 are so shaped and their respective working surfaces so distributed that when the forward end of any one finger is in its lowermost or operative position the other two will be rocked up into inoperative position. Rods 23, 24 and 25 are each provided with a double stop like that shown in Fig. 8 the space between the two stop surfaces 62 and 63 being sufficient to receive the end of a finger when it is in its down or operative position. Obviously when in this position any movement of friction 31 will be translated to a rod through a finger.

The function of friction 31 is to propel the carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 the full width of the fabric, the term full width as used herein meaning from one edge to the other whether it be the maximum width or some lesser width resulting from narrowing.

More specifically when rod 23 is to travel a distance equivalent to the full width of the fabric finger 43 will be swung down into engagement with stop 59 so that when friction 31 moves either to the right or left carrier rod 23 will be propelled in one direction or the other the distance permitted by end stops 40*iL and 4| 1. These end stops are the standard stops carried by the narrowing heads.

Whenever carrier rod 24 is to be propelled the full width of the stocking, cam 49 will operate in La similar manner to permit finger 44 to engage 43, 44 and 45 operate to drive them will also be evident.

Friction 38 is, as already stated, substantially identical to friction 31. It is provided with three fingers 64, 65 and 66 pivoted upon a friction box 61, the forward ends of the fingers overlying carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 respectively. The rear ends of these lingers are equipped with cam rollers 68, 69 and 18 which engage with cams 1|, 12 and 13 slidably splined upon shaft 46 so that they will also rotate therewith. As in the case of friction box 31, friction box 61 is also provided with arms 14 and 15 enclosing the cams 1l, 12 and 13 to guide these cams and maintain them in alignment with rollers 68, 69 and 18 whatever the position or movement of friction 38 may be. The function of friction 38 is to move one or the other of carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 across one or the other of the selvages. Since it is to operate upon only one rod at a time cams 1|, 12 and 13 are so designed and their working surfaces so positioned that they will maintain two fingers out of engagement with their rods while the remaining finger is engaged. The carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 are provided with another set of double stops 11, 18 and 19 respectively, with which nvgers 64, `65 and 66 mayv respectively engage to drive the rods. It will, therefore, be evident that friction box 38 may be used to select and operate any one of the three rods 23, 24 and 25 during any knitting stroke, the rod selected being governed by the arrangement and design of the operating cams.

The third friction 39 is also of substantially identical construction to the other two. It is provided with pivoted fingers 80, 8| and 82 the forward ends of which overlie carrier rods 23, 24 and respectively. The rear ends of the fingers are also provided with cam rollers 83, 84 and 85 engaging with cams 86, 81 and 88 splined on shaft 46 so as to be not only slidable upon but rotatable therewith. The longitudinal position of these cams on change shaft 46 is under the control of and 95 with which fingers 88, 8| and 82 can engage to drive the rods. If desired the same set of stops 11, 18 and 19 with which the fingers oi friction 38 engage may be utilized for friction 39 provided the length of each of these frictions is small enough to permit them to be brought close enough together so that stops 11, 18 and 19 will register with fingers 88, 8| and 82 on friction 39.

Cams 86, 81 and 88 are also designed and their working surfaces positioned soas to maintain two of the fingers 80, 8| and 82 out of operative engagement with their carrier rods and to permit one of the fingers to operatively engage.

The function of this friction 39 also is to drive one or the other of carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 across a selvage in one direction or the other. It will, therefore, now be evident that by means of the fingers on the three frictions 31, 38 and 39 under the control of the nine associated cams the three carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 may be independently driven by friction rod 36 simply by causing 'one of the fingers on friction 31 to engage one rod, one of the fingers on friction 38 to engage another rod, and one of the fingers on friction 39 to engage the third rod during each knitting stroke. However, it is also evident that since friction rod 38 during each stroke reciproincluded to limit the stroke of two rods to theV width of the selvages.

Reference to Fig. 2 will demonstrate that during each knitting stroke two rods move only the Width of the selvage whereas the third rod travels the full width of the stocking.

To limit the inward travel of the carrier rods engaged in laying thel heel tab threads use is made of the standard pointed heel attachment with several novel additions thereto. This attachment, as modified, is shown in the center of Fig. 5. It consists of a spindle 96 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings on brackets 91, 98 and 99 fixed to stationary shaft 9|. Spindle 96 is divided into two oppositely threaded halves |00, |0|. Internally threaded stop blocks |02 and |03 are mounted upon halves |00 and |0| respectively, of spindle 96 so that rotation of spindle 96 will cause blocks |02 and 03 to approach or recede from one another. To prevent rotation of stop blocks |02 and |03 around spindle 96 each stop block is also provided with a boss |03a slidably supported on shaft 9|'.

It will be evident that if carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 are provided with stops suitable to engage with stop blocks |02 and |03 the inward travel of these rods can be limited to less thari' their maximum'and that this limited travel can be varied by racking blocks |02 and |03 outwardly or :lnwardly. However, it will -be remembered that throughout the knitting of 'the stocking each carrier rod must not only work upon the selvages but at every third course must traverse the full width of the stocking. Therefore, an arrangement in which stops on the carrier rods must strike stop blocks |02 or |03 on levery stroke will not be suitable. For this reason stop blocks |02 and |03 are so designed that the stops on carrier rods 23, 24 and 25 can pass under them. They are, however, each equipped with three adjustable stops, those on stop block |02 being numbered |04, |05 and |06l respectively, and respectively overlying carrier rods 23, 24 and 25. The stops on block |93 are numbered |01, |03 and |09 respectively, and also respectively overlie carrier rods .23, 2|| and 25. As best shown in Fig. 'l each of these stops |04|09 is movable ltoward and away from its associated carrier rod. Carrier rod 23 is provided with additional stops |0 and which will engage with stops |04 and |0'| respectively, when these last mentioned stops are in their operative position.` Carrier rod 24 is similarly provided with stops I2 and |3 engageable with stops |05 and |08 on stop blocks |02 and |03 and carrier rod 25 is also similarly provided with stops ||4 and ||5 engageable with stops |06|09 on stop blocks |02 and |03.

Whenever it is desired to limit the inward travel of any one of the three carrier rods in either direction this is done 'by moving the proper stops on stop blocks |02 and |03 down into operative position so as to engagev with one or another of the stops on the carrier rods. This movement which, of course, must be synchronized with the operation of the three sets of carrier rod operating fingers already described, may be accomplished by the following mechanism.

Stops |04, |05 and |06 are connected to levers ||0, and ||8 respectively. These levers are pivoted on a short shaft ||9 attached to bracket 91 so that their rear ends which are provided with rollers |20, |2| and |22 respectively, mayen gage with cams |23, |24 and |25 respectively.

These cams are keyed toshaft 46 and they are designed so as to impart the necessary motion to the three operating levers to operate the stops as required. Similarly three operating levers |26,

|21 and |28 pivoted at |29 are provided for stops |0'|, |08 and |09, the rear ends of which engage with three cams |30, |3| and |32, also keyed on shaft 46.

Whenever it is desired to restrictl the movement of one of the carrier rods to the left the corresponding stop on stop block |03 will be pushed down into engaging position by means of one of the cams operating through one of the levers. Similarly when the motion of any one of the carrier rods to the right is to be reduced this is accomplished through the corresponding stop on stop block |02 which is pushed down into engaging position by the lever operated by the corresponding cam. The connection between the stops |04|09 and the levers just referred to is necessarily a sliding or otherwise exible connection since the levers do not move longitudinally of the machine, whereas it must be possible to lrack the stop blocks which carry the stops in and out in accordance with the requirements of the reenforoement. As a specic illustration of the operation of the machine assume the carrier rods to be in the position shown in Fig. 5 and position A-A of Fig. 2. yThe first stroke illustrated in position A of Fig. 2, it will be recalled, was from left to right and resulted in driving rod 23 the full width of the fabric. II'his would be done by finger 43 on friction 31 which would be permitted to engage with stop 59. Simultaneously rod 24 vage by hnger which is permitted to engage with stop 24. Rod 25 will be moved simultaneously to the right across the left selvage by iinger t6 on friction 38 which is permitted tov engage stop |19. The inward travel of carrier rod 25 is arrested when stop |4 strikes stop |06 on stop block |02 which will occur when the thread carrier reaches the inner edge of the left selvage.

Upon the next stroke of the machine as shown in position B of Fig. 2 rod 23 is driven to the left the width of the right selvage. For this purpose nger 30 on friction 39 will be permitted to engage with stop 93. When the inner edge of the selvage is reached stop will strike stop |01 on stop block |03 and the rod will cometo rest. Simultaneously finger 44 on friction 31 has engaged with stop 60 on rod 24 and propelled it the full width of the fabric and linger 66 has engaged with stop on rod 25 to drive it across the left selvage. l

On the next stroke (position C of Fig. 2) carrier rod 23 is returned to the right across the right selvage by finger 80 on friction 39 which engages with stop 93. Carrier rod 24 is moved to the right across the left selvag'e by finger 65 acting upon stop 'i 8, theV motion being terminated at the inner edge of the left selvage by the engagement of stop' ||2 with stop |05 on stop block |02 and carrier rod 25 has been driven entirely across the fabric by finger 25 acting upon stop 6|. Upon the next stroke (position D of Fig. 2) nger 43 will again drive rod 23 across the fullwidth of the fabric by means of stop 59, nger 65 will drive rod 24 across the left selvage by means of stop 18, and

iinger 82 will drive rod 25 across the right selvage coA by means of stop 95, the travel of rod 25 being engagement of stop ||5 with stop |09 on stop block |03.

Upon the following stroke (position E of Fig. 2) rod 23 will be driven across the left selvage by finger 64 acting upon stop 11, its motion being arrested at the inner edge of the selvage by the engagement of stop ||0 with stop |04 on stop block |02, rod 24 will be driven across the entire width of the fabric by finger 44 through stop 60 and rod 25 will be returned across the right selvage by finger 82 acting upon stop 95. The next stroke (position F-of Fig. 2) will return the rods to their original position (positions A-A of Fig. 2) nger 64 engaging with stop 11 to propel rod 23, finger 8| engaging with stop 94 to propel rod 24, and finger 45 engaging with stop 6l to propel rod 25. Rod 24 is arrested at the inner edge of the right selvage by stop ||3 which strikes stop |08 on stop block |03. From this it is evident that friction 31 acting through fingers 43, 44 and 45 and carrier rod stops 59, 60 and 6| controls the full width of travel of the carrier rods, that friction 38 acting through fingers 64, 65 and 66 and carrier stops 11, 18 and 19 controls outward movement (right to left) of the carrier rods working upon the left selvage; that this same friction through the same fingers and stops controls the movement of the same rods across the same selvage in the opposite direction within the limits permitted by stops |04, |05 and |06 on stop block |02 in conjunction with carrier rod stops |0, |2 and ||4; that friction 39 acting through fingers 80, 8| and 82 and stops controls the movement of the carrier rods working from left to right upon the right selvage and that this same friction 39 acting through the same fingers and carrier rod stops controls the reverse movement of the rods across the same selvage to the extent permitted by stops |01, |08 and |09 on stop block |03 acting upon carrier rod stops ||3 and ||5. It is also evident that the fifteen cams on changing shaft 46 can be made to operate the fingers and center stops to effect the movements described.

It will also be evident that the outer limits of carrier rod travel are defined by the standard end stops 40a and 4 l so thatthe usual narrowing may be Veffected and that the width of the reenforced selvages may be determined and varied at will by racking stop blocks |02 and |03 inwardly or outwardly. It will also be evident that the operating sequence of the carrier rods may also be modified by altering the cams to correspond. In Fig. 5 a means for rotating changing shaft 46 is shown as consisting of a cam |33 upon the main cam shaft |34 operating a rock lever |35 through roller |36. Lever |35 in turn rotates shaft 46 in a step by step manner through a pawl |31' and ratchet |38. This form of drive is well known to those skilled in the art and can be designed by them to impart the required rotation to shaft 46 which will, of course, depend upon the design of the cams on shaft 46.

Fig. 5 also shows a similar drive for spindle 96. It consists of a cam |39 on main cam shaft |34, a rock lever |40 operated by cam |39 through roller |4|, a pawl |42 on rock lever |40 and a ratchet |43 on spindle 96. This mechanism will cause stop blocks |02 and |03 to move inwardly in a step by step manner whenever required. 'I'his drive which, obviously, will not be used except when the inner edges of the selvages are to be moved inwardly may be thrown out of action by lifting pawl |42 out of engagement with ratchet |43 or in any other suitable way. To move stop blocks |02 and |03 outwardly the above mechanism may be modified so that spindle 96 may be automatically rotated in either direction. Such a drive is well known to those skilled in the art and for that reason and to simplify the drawings a hand wheel |44 is shown by means of which blocks 02 and |03 may be racked out.

A clear idea of the construction of the fingers on frictions 31, 38 and 39 can be obtained from Fig. 6 which is an end view of friction 31 looking to the right from the position indicated by the line 6-6 in Fig. 5. It will be noted that to the rear end of each finger is attached a spring |45, the other end of which is attached to cross rod 55. Thus the fingers are maintained in contact with the carrier rod stops by these springs, the cams serving to elevate and maintain the fingers in inoperative position. Whenever it is desired to throw frictions 31, 38 and 39 out of action, this may be done by lever |46 by means of which a rod |41 carried by the friction box can be rotated. Rod |41 is provided with cams |48, one for each nger, which, when lever |46 is thrown back, engage with the fingers to elevate them into inoperative position and remove them from the iniiuence of spring |45 and the several cams. This lever will be employed, for example, to throw all of the fingers on frictions 31, 38 and 39 out of operation when the point has been reached at which the'knitting of the instep is suspended, as diagrammatically indicated at the lines B-B in Fig.' 4. The completion of the heel tabs from that point is performed in the conventional manner by six carrier rods, three working on each tab to lay the three threads required for the doubly reenforced structure. Among these three rods two of the rods heretofore used would normally be employed to continue in the remainder of each heel tab oneof the threads already incorporated in the upper part. This is perfectly feasible since all three rods 23, 24 and 25 have been disconnected from all of the fingers on all three frictions 31, 38 and 39. Therefore, for completing the heel tabs two of the rods, say 23 and 24, may be employed in conjunction with four other rods, not shown. All of them will be operated by ordinary frictions with which the standard friction rod is equipped through suitably placed stops on the carrier rods. These, of course, are also standard. This further emphasizes the fact that the device of this invention is one which in no way alters the other possibilities of the machine.

Fig. 7 shows in greater detail the construction of the modied pointed heel attachment, and particularly the stops and levers by means of which the inward travel of the carrier rods working on the selvages are controlled. Stop block |02 is shown and stop levers |04, |05 and |06 in their inoperative position into which they are moved and held by cams |23, |24 and |25 respectively, against the resistance of a spring |49 of which there is one for each lever. The upper end of each stop lever terminates in a slotted head |50 with the slot of which the proper lever ||6, ||1 and ||8 slidably engages so that the stop levers remain operatively connected to the operating levers in spite of the inward and outward travel of block |02. In order that the correct relation between stop block |02 and cams |23, |24 and |25 may be positively maintained boss |0321, which affords a sliding support on shaft 9|, may also be extended into a half bearing |5| resting against changing shaft 46. This will positively maintain stop block |02 in its annees proper position with respect to the operating cams and the carrier rods.

The structure of stop block |03, its stops |01, lull and ills, associated operating levers, and operating cams i3d, lil and i32, is exactly the same as above described. The shapes of the cams shown in Fig. 7 are clearly illustrated. As already stated, the exact design will readily be determined by those skilled in the art and must be left to them since it depends upon various factors such as the rate of rotation of changing shaft lii'as compared with that of the main cam shaft, the number of teeth in the operating ratchet, etc.

li claim:

1. A fiat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each of said rods, and selector means for enabling each of said reciprocating means to engage with a single and diderent one of said carrier rods.

2. A flat knitting machine according to claim 1 in which the selector means is carried by a rotatable shaft. v

3. A fiat knitting machine according to claim l in which the selector `means is slidably keyed to a rotatable shaft.

Il. A fiat knitting machine according to claim l in which the selector means consistsof a multiplicity of cams rotatable in timed relation to the reciprocation of the carrier rods.

5. A nat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, a friction rod provided with a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each of said carrier rods. each of said reciprocating means consisting of a mul, tiplicity of fingers, each engageable with a different one of said carrier rods, and selector means associated with each reciprocating means for enabling a iingervof each reciprocating means to engage with a single and diiferent one of said carrier rods and for maintaining the other hngers of each reciprocating means out of engagement Awith the carrier rods.

6. A nat knitting machine according to claim l in which the selector means is operated from a timing mechanism. l

7. A fiat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, a reciprocable friction rod provided with a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each of said rods, selector means for enabling each of said reciprocating means to drive a single and a diderent carrier rod at each traverse of the friction rod, rnechanically operated means for arresting the traverse of any one of the carrier rods at a point intermediate its full traverse during the traverse of the friction rod, said means consisting of a stop block adjustable longitudinally of the carrier rods and provided with stops selectively engageable with stops upon said carrier rods, and mechanically operated means for moving lsaid stops on said stop block into and out of position to-engage with the stops upon said carrier rods so that a stop on said stop block engages a stop on a dierent one of-said carrier rods at each stroke of the friction rod. l

8. A :dat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, a reciprocable friction rod provided with a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each of said rods, selector means for enabling each of said reciproeating means to drive a single and a different carrier rod at each traverse of the friction rod, mechanically operated means for arresting the traverse of any one of the carrier rods at a point intermediate its full traverse during the traverse of the friction rod, said means consisting of a stop block adjustable longitudinally of the carrier rods and provided with stops selectively engageable with stops upon said carrier rods, and mechanically operated means for selecting the stop on said st'op block which is to engage with a stop on a carrier rod to arrest the traverse -of that carrier rod at the intermediate point.

9. A flat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, a multiplicity of carrier rod driving means each engageable with a single carrier rod during each traverse of said carrierrods, means for engaging a did'erent one of said driving means with a different one of said carrier rods between each traverse of said rods, andmechanism for operating said engaging means in timed relation tothe operation of means for arresting the traverse of one of said carrier rods at a point intermediate its full traverse, said arresting means consisting of a pair of stop blocks each provided witha series of stops,'one stop of each series being engageable with a stop on a different one of said carrier rods and a different stop of each series being moved into engaging position in a prede-l termined sequence between successive traverses of the carrierl rods.

l0. A fiat knitting machine having a multiplicity of carrier rods, a reciprocable friction rod, a multiplicity of frictions on said friction rod, carrler rod driving means on each friction engageable with each carrier rod, and selector means for enabling each of said driving means to engage with a single and different one of said carrier rods.

ll. A flat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each of said rods, and selector means for enabling each of said reciprocating means to drive a different carrier rod at each successive traverse of the friction rod.

l2. A fiat knitting machine having a multiplic ity of reciprocable carrier rods, a friction rod provided with a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each of said rods, selector means for enabling each of said reciprocating means to drive a different carrier rod at each traverse oi the friction rod, means for arresting the traverse at any one of the carrier rods intermediate its full traverse during the traverse of the friction rod.

i3. A flat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, a reciprocable friction rod provided with a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each of said rods, selector means for enabling each of said reciprocating means to drive a'single and different carrier rod at each traverse of the friction rod, means for arresting the traverse of any one of the carrier r'ds intermediate its full traverse during the traverse of the friction rod, said means consisting of a stop block adjustable longitudinally of the carrier rods and provided with stops selectively engageable with stops upon'said carrier rods.

i4. A fiat knitting machine having a multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods, each provided with a thread carrier, a'friction rod provided with a multiplicity of means for reciprocating each o1" said carrier rods, selector means for enabling each of said reciprocating means to drive a single and different carrier rod and mechanically-operated.

at each traverse of the friction rod, means for arresting the traverse of a predetermined one of the carrier rods when its carrier has reached the inner edge of the selvage, and mechanically-operated means for operating said arresting means in timed relation to the operation of the selector means.

15. A flat knitting machine having a. multiplicity of longitudinally reciprocable carrier rods each provided with a thread carrier, a friction rod provided with a multiplicity of means for reciproeating each of said carrier rods, selector means for enabling each of said reciprocating means to drive a single and diiferent carrier rod at each -stop block with the stop upon the predetermined carrier rod when the thread carrier upon said predetermined carrier rod has reached the inner edge of the selvage. 

